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Hospital masking picks up steam |
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Tuesday, December 26, 2023 12:24 PM |
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More health systems have implemented mask rules in recent weeks amid an uptick in respiratory virus activity and growing concerns over potential capacity issues this winter. Read more. |
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Is it COVID, flu, or allergies? How to protect yourself and loved ones this season |
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Tuesday, December 26, 2023 12:22 PM |
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Flu season is here once again. And many questions have formed over the last couple of years about how you can stay safe from both the influenza (flu) and COVID-19 viruses, as well as how to tell if your symptoms may be caused by seasonal allergies or a different virus instead. Read more. |
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In Rare Cases, Measles Mutates in Brain and Kills |
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Tuesday, December 26, 2023 11:03 AM |
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Years after infection, the measles virus can migrate to and mutate within the brain, causing a fatal illness. Read more. |
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Why Washing Your Hands Actually Matters |
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Saturday, December 23, 2023 11:24 AM |
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Washing our hands may seem like a waste of time sometimes. But taking that extra 20 seconds does a lot more than we might think. Read more. |
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COVID contact-tracing study suggests length of exposure biggest factor in disease spread |
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Saturday, December 23, 2023 11:20 AM |
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An analysis of 7 million contacts of COVID-19 patients in the United Kingdom estimates that most transmissions resulted from exposures lasting 1 hour to several days and that households accounted for 40% of spread from spring 2021 to early 2022. Read more. |
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States trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire |
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Saturday, December 23, 2023 11:06 AM |
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When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear. Read more. |
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WHO designates JN.1 as separate COVID-19 variant of interest |
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Saturday, December 23, 2023 11:04 AM |
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Due to its rapid growth and potential to add to the respiratory virus burden in Northern Hemisphere countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) today designated JN.1, part of the BA.2.86 SARS-CoV-2 lineage, as its own variant of interest. Read more. |
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Study shows HPV vaccination gaps in preteens |
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Saturday, December 23, 2023 11:01 AM |
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A research letter yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics study shows that children younger than 13 years still have significant gaps in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage, despite the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices recommendation for routine HPV vaccination for girls aged 11 to 12 years since 2006, and for boys since 2011. Read more. |
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Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe From Holiday Hazards |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 08:46 PM |
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Happy holidays? Not if your pet gets sick. The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine discusses some unhealthy holiday temptations and how to keep your pets safe. Read more. |
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Turning Discoveries into Health for All |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 03:59 PM |
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Greetings, blog readers! I’m Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, and I’m honored to be serving as the 17th Director of the National Institutes of Health. I’m excited to continue the NIH Director’s Blog to share with you the exciting discoveries and fascinating research conducted here at NIH and at the organizations we support in the U.S. and around the world. But before we start diving into the latest advances, I wanted to share a bit about myself and what I’m looking forward to as NIH Director. Read more. |
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Should you wear a mask or not? Hear a doctor's advice ahead of the holidays |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 03:57 PM |
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Cone Health Medical Director of Infection Prevention urges families to mask up ahead of Christmas to protect yourself and others. Read more. |
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5 ways to handle difficult dental patients |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 03:48 PM |
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Difficult patients come with the job. But don't let them get to you. Here are five easy steps to keep your cool and put patients at ease too. Read more. |
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MMWR Weekly - December 22, 2023 |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 03:44 PM |
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Weekly / Vol. 72 / No. 51. Read more. |
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Food Safety for Buffets and Parties |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 03:28 PM |
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Gathering friends and family is fun, but beware of uninvited party guests. Foodborne germs can crash your buffet and make people sick with food poisoning. When cooking, preparing, or serving food for large groups, follow these steps to keep food safe. Read more. |
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Seniors in Care Facilities Have More Protection Available This Year: CDC Encourages Vaccination Against Flu, COVID-19 and RSV |
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Friday, December 22, 2023 03:25 PM |
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New research in this week’s MMWR finds that most nursing home residents haven’t received an updated COVID-19 vaccine or the new RSV vaccine. Read more. |
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The Antibiotic Resistance War |
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Thursday, December 21, 2023 06:29 PM |
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Dive into the microscopic battlefield in our latest video. We delve into the critical issue of antibiotic resistance. Witness the historical development of antibiotics, from penicillin's accidental discovery to the ongoing battle against superbugs. Explore the molecular structures of antibiotics and the ingenious strategies bacteria employ to survive. We uncover the urgent quest for new antibiotic solutions, utilizing AI, bacteriophages, and cutting-edge technologies. However, time is ticking— the World Health Organization warns of a potential future claiming 10 million lives annually by 2050 due to antimicrobial resistance. Subscribe now for a riveting exploration of this silent threat. Read more. |
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Association between daily toothbrushing and hospital-acquired pneumonia |
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Thursday, December 21, 2023 06:26 PM |
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The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomized clinical trials with an effective population size of 2,786 patients suggest that daily tooth brushing may be associated with significantly lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia, particularly in patients receiving mechanical ventilation, lower rates of intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, shorter duration of mechanical ventilation, and shorter ICU length of stay. Policies and programs encouraging more widespread and consistent toothbrushing are warranted. Read more. |
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TEAM LED BY UMASS AMHERST DISCOVERS HOW TO SABOTAGE ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT ‘SUPERBUGS’ |
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Thursday, December 21, 2023 06:24 PM |
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Antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that can defeat efforts to kill them are an urgent public health crisis, and according to the CDC, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year. Researchers across the world are scrambling to meet the challenge. Recently, a collaborative team of researchers lead by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and including scientists from the biopharmaceutical company Microbiotix, announced in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases that they had successfully learned how to sabotage a key piece of machinery, called the Type 3 secretion system, that pathogens use to infect their host cells. Furthermore, the team reports that they have developed a test to identify the next-generation drugs to target this vulnerable cellular machinery and make real gains in public health. Read more. |
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Delta Dental hacked, exposing data of 7M patients Melissa Busch |
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Thursday, December 21, 2023 06:21 PM |
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Delta Dental of California was struck with a data hack that exposed the personal information of nearly 7 million patients, becoming the latest casualty of the MOVEit Transfer software breach that has affected more than 2,600 organizations mostly in the U.S. Read more. |
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Perceptions of Incivility Among Dental Hygiene Students and Faculty/Administrators |
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Thursday, December 21, 2023 06:19 PM |
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While incivility has been part of higher education for many years, there has been a documented increase as both students and educators have begun to recognize this behavior and its effects on student learning, faculty satisfaction and stress. The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the perceptions of incivility among dental hygiene students and faculty/administrators. Read more. |
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6 Safety Tips for a Healthy and Happy Holiday |
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023 03:16 PM |
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Accidents and injuries aren’t ever in anyone’s holiday plans, but thousands of them—many preventable—happen every year. Read more. |
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Oral Health’s Top 10 News Stories of 2023 |
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023 02:40 PM |
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Yet another year has gone by, which means it’s time to look back on which news items had you clicking and reading! But before we get to the news countdown, let’s reflect on this year for Oral Health… Read more. |
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Saving lives in the ICU: Clean teeth |
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023 01:53 PM |
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‘Striking’ study suggests daily use of a toothbrush lowers risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia, intensive-care mortality. Read more. |
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Want to Improve the Well-Being of Health Workers? The System Itself Must Change |
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023 05:03 PM |
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The pandemic has brought attention to the safety, health, and well-being of workers in healthcare. Recent efforts to address these issues include, the Office of the Surgeon General’s Addressing Health Worker Burnout, an “Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce,” from the National Academy of Medicine’s National Plan for Healthcare Workforce Wellbeing and the NIOSH Health Worker Mental Health Initiative. Read more. |
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BP check at dental clinic saves patient's life |
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023 03:39 PM |
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A 65-year-old man attended a blood pressure (BP) clinic at a U.K. dental center and was later hospitalized for potentially lifesaving treatment for heart failure. The case report was published in the British Dental Journal. Read more. |
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How dentists can identify domestic abuse |
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Tuesday, December 19, 2023 10:51 AM |
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Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse. We explore how dental teams can support patients by knowing what to look out for, how to respond, and what support is available. Read more. |
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High-dose flu vaccine may benefit adults younger than age 65 years |
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Monday, December 18, 2023 10:53 AM |
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A recombinant influenza vaccine offered additional protection against PCR-confirmed influenza and community-acquired pneumonia hospitalization among adults aged 50 to 64 years compared with a standard-dose vaccine, study results showed. Read more. |
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Air Quality in Infection Prevention:
Innovations, Efficacy, and Limitations |
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Monday, December 18, 2023 10:51 AM |
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New insights into pathogen-specific transmission dynamics and innovations in ventilation, filtration, and monitoring systems offer promising tools for effective infection control. Read more. |
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Officials open tuberculosis probe involving dozens of schools in Nevada’s most populous county |
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Monday, December 18, 2023 10:26 AM |
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A tuberculosis investigation is underway involving a person with an active infection who was on dozens of elementary and high school campuses in Nevada’s most populous county, according to authorities. Read more. |
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UK- Single-use wipe ban planned for 2024 – what does this mean for dentistry? |
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Sunday, December 17, 2023 12:26 PM |
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A government consultation closed at the end of November, having sought views from all four UK nations, on a proposed ban on the manufacture, supply, and sale of wet wipes containing plastic across the UK. This ban is due to come into effect in 2024. Read more. |
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Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter.. |
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Sunday, December 17, 2023 12:25 PM |
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Winter storms and cold temperatures can be dangerous. Stay safe and healthy by planning ahead. Prepare your home and vehicles. Prepare for power outages and outdoor activity. Check on young children, older adults, and the chronically ill. Read more. |
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Nevada’s rural dentistry — a workforce in progress |
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Sunday, December 17, 2023 10:57 AM |
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In 2018, there were estimated to be 200,000 trained oral health professionals in the United States, with an average of 61 dentists per 100,000 people in each state. Nevada fell just below the national average, with 55 dentists per 100,000 residents. Despite the relatively small deviation, the statistics do not consider one of the greatest factors: the distribution of dentists across the state. The number of rural Nevada dental professionals does not approach the top of the bell curve. Read more. |
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Pneumococcal disease in kids plunges 72% over 20 years after vaccine rollout |
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 11:52 AM |
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The rate of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children plummeted 72% from 2002 to 2021 and continued to fall after the 7-valent (7-strain) pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was replaced by the 13-valent version (PCV13), a Yale University–led team reports today in Pediatrics. Read more. |
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Global flu activity rises, led by Northern Hemisphere hot spots |
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 11:50 AM |
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Global flu activity continues to rise, led by increases in several Northern Hemisphere countries in North America, Europe, and Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week in an update that roughly covers the latter half of November. Read more. |
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Weekly Rounds: Challenging MRSA Precautions, Bug of the Month, and More |
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 11:48 AM |
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Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending December 10, 2023. Read more. |
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